


Rachel's Escape

by reddish_umbrella



Series: The Long Journey Home [2]
Category: Titans (TV 2018)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure, Angst, Father-Daughter Relationship, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 09:40:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25847488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reddish_umbrella/pseuds/reddish_umbrella
Summary: Sequel to "Rachel's Way out" / Part II of "The Long Way Home"You have to read the first part to understand the context.At least I would highly recommand it.::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::They just got back from their last adventure which almost cost Rachel's life when suddenly a new thread appears on the horizon. Rachel decides it's best if she manages the thread on her own, much to Dick's dismay...
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Rachel Roth, Dick Grayson & Raven
Series: The Long Journey Home [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1853008
Comments: 5
Kudos: 7





	1. Missing

**Author's Note:**

> Hi dear readers,  
> I am back! I am melting, but I am back. We are looking forward to the second part of the trilogy of this series. It is packed with a lot of plot, but I tried hard to sneak the precious Dick and Rachel moments in there.  
> Which aren't all fluffy, ya know me...but sometimes it happens. Like an accident and I suddenly write fluff...which is of course ... awful, yesyes, awful ;-)  
> Edit: Updates are weekly on Tuesday!

“Where the fuck is Rachel?”, yelled Dick. 

The rest of the Titans were standing at the beach around the fire pit where they just enjoyed a peaceful evening before the bushes caught fire and Rachel and all her belongings disappeared into thin air. 

“Dick…we have to do something about the fire…”, interfered Donna. 

He didn’t listen to her. The last three weeks were hell for him. Rachel suffering amnesia because of his carelessness during one mission, Dr. Shoekeeper's attempt to kill her…and now she disappeared? 

“No, we have to look for her now…!” 

“DICK!” Donna made her way to him and took his forearms and shook him. “There is a fucking fire over there! There are other people on this beach! We. Have. To. Get. Out. Now!” 

Dick looked at her, surprised about the intensity of her voice and he realized he was carried away from his constant worry for Rachel. 

“Okay…I guess we can track her later.” 

“Thank you”, said Donna and turned around to the team. “We have to evacuate the other attendees from the beach”, she pointed to the other people in the near distance, “best over the water. Did somebody call 911?” 

“I already did.” Dawn looked at Donna, waiting. 

“Okay…so Hank, Gar, Conner, Kory you take the left side. Rose, Jason, Dawn, and Dick – you come with me.” She looked at Dick, he nodded. He wasn’t happy about the decision, but he knew it was the only reasonable thing to do right now. 

As Rachel was running down the beach, she felt a string of guilt in her heart. She knew her disappearance would break Dick’s heart, but it was the right decision. This fire couldn’t be an accident, it has been placed there on purpose and she knew the reason was her. She needed to disappear for a while and investigate on her own for a solution. She could have stayed there, waited for instruction, ask Dick for permission…but he would have refused, she knew that. He would rather bring himself in danger than endanger her again. He did answer her question about her past when she asked, but she saw how much he didn’t want to. If he had the choice, he would protect her from the rest of the world. So, she wasn’t able to ask, she had to run and hide instead. 

She arrived at the nearest bus station and got on the next city bus. She had some money and she needed to lay low for a while, but she couldn’t stay in San Francisco. She had her contacts with the other kids from the shelter, but she couldn’t risk to endanger them. Rachel was sure Dick would start to look in San Francisco first, and it would take him only a few days to find her again and probably drag her home. No, she had to leave San Francisco to keep them safe. She looked in her wallet and checked how much money she got. She had something about 60$ in cash, that wouldn’t bring her very far. Maybe something in California self. She discovered a debit card in her wallet. Maybe she could withdraw the biggest amount from there before she had ditch it, because it would most certaintly be tracked by Dick. Rachel sighed. She needed to take precautions if she was really willing to protect them. It is going to be hard again. Getting out at the bus station on Mission St. she headed directly to the ticket counter. 

“Los Angeles, One way please.” 

Kory couldn’t understand what was happening. Everything was all right as suddenly a fire appeared at the beach, Rachel disappeared and now as they were just evacuating people off the beach as suddenly the surrounding bushes had caught fire. Fortunately, it wasn’t that bad and they could move the people carefully around it. Kory frowned; it didn’t make any sense only to burn down some bushes but not all of them. Like somebody wanted to get them out. She climbed over the sandy hills into the direction of Sea Cliff Av with the others. In the distance they could hear crashing noises, yelling, honking of cars. 

“What the fuck?”, mumbled Kory and looked at the others. 

“I have no idea what is going on”, said Dawn, looking confused like Kory. 

“Did hell just break loose?”, groaned Donna. 

“We have to check anyway. We parked over there.” Kory went ahead, walking towards the intersection on El Camino del Mar. The street normally a nice family neighborhood with the older and comfy Californian styled buildings was suddenly overflowed with cars which had crashed at each other, leaving injured people back screaming in their cars or walking aimlessly around. Someone holding desperately to his bloody head stumbled in their direction and Dawn stepped forward to catch him. 

“What the hell happened here?”, she asked. 

“I don’t know…. I was driving, all of sudden all cars started to malfunction and crashing in each other…” 

“What?”, asked Donna who couldn’t believe her ears. 

“I swear! I was driving normally when suddenly my car sped up and crashed in the black Audi in front of me! I hit the brakes, but it didn’t stop!” 

Donna looked from the person to the rest of the group. 

“Do you think what I think?”, she said, her face pale. 

“Yes”, said Dick the first time since they left the fire pit. “Someone is trying to meddle with us.” He looked earnest. 

“But why?” Hank’s voice sounded utterly pissed. 

“They want to keep us up occupied,” 

Rachel got on the 9.30 pm bus. She withdrew 250$ from her debit card, emptying her account. She didn’t know who gave her the account, but whoever set the password, should consider looking into proper security measures. The pin code was her birth year, her first guess. She was lucky as her memories weren’t back yet, just parts of it. 

She settled down on the bus. She had over 8 hours of drive ahead to Los Angeles. She looked down at her phone, the screen showing her a picture of Dick and her, smiling. She just snapped today, after they laid in the sand. She looked relaxed and happy, the sand still in her blue hairs and on her black clothes. Dick had put one arm over her, nudging him slightly into his embrace. He looked relaxed too, happy even. Rachel swallowed hard, she knew she had to ditch the phone soon as she would be easily tracalbe with it. She sighed and massaged her eyelids. She wished she wouldn’t be forced to make so many arrangements to prevent them of finding her. She had no chance, she knew it. She had to. Rachel took her phone and turned it off. Until she was in Los Angeles and she had to figure out what she was going to do.

The Titans stumbled back in the tower, visibly disheveled and exhilarated. They tried to get so many people as possible into safety from the intersection until the first responders arrived at the scene. Donna made a beeline to the tech room, starting the alert system. The others followed her swiftly and were standing in front of the screen. The map of San Francisco was colored in red dots, signalising an emergency.. Robbery, rape, theft…the screen was plastered with these emergency notices.  


“What the actual fuck?”, said Jason.  
  
“We are getting flooded”, whispered Dawn. “They knew we have to react to this, so they most certainly targeting us.”  
  
“But why? Why out of the sudden?” Donna sounded exasperated.  
  
“Maybe….” Dick cleared his throat. “Maybe Dr. Shoekeeper was only the beginning?”  
  
“Do you mean…?” Donna groaned. “Fuck!”  
  
“We have to be rational and prioritize. We have to split up in several groups to get this under control.” Dick was springing back into his position as the leader. 

“Make groups of three and try to get to the cases where lives are in danger. Everything else let the police handle it.” Everyone nodded deliberately.  
I can’t forget to track down Rachel’s phone later, thought Dick. It was painful for him not to be able to concentrate on finding her right now. As he was preparing for the mission, he set up an alert for Rachel’s phone and bank account. It would search for activities and report him any activities. 

Rachel woke up around 5 am. They were driving into the suburbs of Los Angeles now, passing by peaceful surburban houses and multi-lanes highways. She blinked several times and tried to remember what happened. She felt a sting to her heart what she had done to Dick. She needed a plan, but she should probably at least let him know that she was all right and it was her decision to go away. She looked down on her phone which was switched off. She had to send him a text in Los Angeles and then discard it. She couldn’t stay in Los Angeles as he would know instantly from where she did send the text. She needed to go somewhere else, but she couldn’t spend a lot of money on it. She closed her eyes, trying to remember what possible city was near Los Angeles and big enough to go undercover.  
“Well, there is only one real choice there”, she mumbled to herself. 

Dick and the rest of the team returned to the Tower in the early morning. They tried as much they could and somehow the emergency notices stopped coming up on their devices and they decided to retreat for the night. The whole mission drained them dangerously, Rose and Garfield already fell asleep in the car on their drive back home. Dick felt lightheaded but he forced himself back to the tech room. He opened the window where he tracked Rachel's phone and bank account. He saw that she withdrew 250$ from the bank account near the bus station in San Francisco and that her phone switched off near the station.  
  
“You can only track her on her phone and bank account?”, asked Donna who was suddenly standing behind him. Startled he turned to her. 

  
“How should I track her otherwise?” 

  
“Well, …you didn’t put a tracker on her like Bruce…” 

  
He sighed. “Of course not, I am not Batman, remember? I don’t put a tracker on my people without asking and necessity. It wasn’t necessary…” 

  
“…until now”, completed Donna the sentence. “I can try and track her phone down even if it’s off. But it will take some time.”  
Dick nodded to her and Donna sat down on the computer. 

Punctually at 6.15 am they arrived at bus station of Los Angeles Downtown. Rachel was one of the first people to get off the bus, looking for a toilet. She got into one of the stalls and breathed in deeply. She knew what she had to do, and it wasn’t going to be easy. 

She took her phone out of her pocket, wrote down a few numbers from her contacts on a scrap of paper, typed the short message for Dick in, and hit send. Then she removed the SIM Card, switched the phone off, and laid it down on the floor. With full force, she stepped on it and damaged it enough so nobody would take it. Rachel carried the remains of the device and throw it away in the paper bin. She splashed some cold water in her face and forced herself to calm down. She could do it. She could protect her family.She made her way out of the toilet and to the ticket counter.  
“I need a ticket, please. One way.” 

Donna was tracking down Rachel’s phone as suddenly Dick saw his phone vibrate. He unlocked the screen, seeing it was a message from Rachel. He felt his hands trembling as he opened the message. He threw a short look on it, went pale, and said to Donna: “Track her phone now! It should be on!” 

Donna startled by the urgency in his voice tracked down the phone. 

  
“She is in Los Angeles, Downtown bus station…” she said as she suddenly paused.

  
“What?”, asked Dick. 

  
“The phone just went offline…I can’t reach it anymore….” 

  
“She destroyed it”, he sighed. 

  
“Why? What did she write?” Donna looked at him. 

  
Without saying anything he handed her over his phone. 

_Dick, I know this is hard, but I needed to disappear because I am the reason that you go attacked today. They want me, not you. All of you aren’t safe with me around. Please don’t try to find me. I will always love you._

“Fuck!” Donna looked at him, pale and worried. “What are we going to do?” 

  
“What I have to do. I will find her and bring her back home.” Dick's face was determined.


	2. Hiding spot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel's is on the run and the Titans team tries to pick up her tracks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there!   
> I am back and I know, I broke my promise. I decided to only post weekly because I didn't write on the third part the last weeks. First I decided I need a short Rachel&Dick break, now I am kinda in a hurry because the day after tomorrow we are going on a camping trip for ten days. Without my notebook! So I can't write (O.o) but yeah I will probably survived that. I also planning a lot with my orginal story, so the whole fanfic thing is right now my third or fourth priority. But don't you worry, the second part is completed and I will also complete the third part. Might take more time than the first two parts, but I will finish it. 
> 
> So updates are on Tuesday from now on.   
> Have fun with the chapter even it felt a bit akward sometimes.

It was still morning when Rachel arrived at her new destination. She looked around; the bus station was in front of the gates of the city. It should able to walk down there. She crossed a camp of homeless people living in tents. Observing them she hoped she wouldn’t have to resort to this measure. But she needed help for sure. She touched the scrape of paper in her jacket on which she had noted something. She knew what she had to do, but first of all, she needed access to the internet. 

“Sorry”, she stopped a pedestrian crossing her way, “where is the public library?” 

“Get me the CCTV of the bus station.” Dick looked demanding to Donna. 

“Dick…that isn’t that easy…” 

“Why?”, he looked irreligiously at her. 

“That’s not like in the movies, goddamn it!” She groaned. She didn’t sleep for 24 hours and she was getting angry at Dick’s behavior. 

“I have to make some calls first to get access to such a thing. I mean that’s probably state property. But Dick….”, she swallowed,” you did consider Rachel might really don’t want to be found…did you think about it?” 

He looked at her grimly. “Yes, and it doesn’t matter.” 

“Why? Maybe she’s right.” 

“It doesn’t matter Donna! She is barely 15 years old! I have the responsibility for her, and I won’t walk her around like nothing is going on!” He sounded desperate and tired. Donna laid a hand on his shoulder, gently squeezing it. 

“I understand you; I do. But let’s sleep first okay?” 

Slowly Dick nodded and let him stir in the direction of his bedroom. 

Rachel was sitting in front of a public PC and breathed in and out. It was surprisingly easy to get internet access in the library. She looked down on her note, reading the name. “Felicity Smoak IT” she had written down and e-mail address. She didn’t who Felicity Smoak was and to whom she belonged, but for Rachel, in the past, it was worthwhile to write her contact down. She massaged her temples; her ongoing amnesia was the death of her. Hopefully, she would recollect more memories very soon, or otherwise, she would screw up at some point. 

She knew she couldn’t log into her e-mail account – the one thing she had actually figured out last week – because that would immediately tell Dick where she was. So, she opened a new e-mail account and drafted a short message for Felicity. 

_> >Hi Felicity, it’s Rachel Roth from the Titans. I’m kind of trouble, it would be nice if you could help me. I think you understand something about IT? Rachel_

She looked down and hit send. She hoped this Felicity was something who was constantly at her computer, so she wouldn’t have to wait for long. She looked around at the library, the sun shining through the windows. She was hungry and she needed a place to sleep tonight, but without valid ID she was screwed up. She looked back on the screen, surprisingly to see already an answer. 

_> >What the fuck is up Rachel? Rose told me you had amnesia. And why you’re using a public PC from a library? What’s going on?? _

“Well at least she was able to track me down within seconds”, mumbled Rachel and started typing an answer. 

_> > I had to go undercover because the other Titans are under attack because of me. I need to figure out who is behind these attacks. Can you please help me? And yes, I still have partial amnesia._

_> > I don’t know that sounds like trouble for me. What do you need? _

_> > I need information about Dr. Shoekeeper and if he somewhat associated with somebody else. And I have a big favor to ask _

_> > Like I said…troubles. Spit it out, Raven. _

_> > I need a fake ID. Like now. _

_> > *eye roll smiley* Okay, but you own me something. _

_> > Sure._

One hour later she had a file from Felicity with a fake ID to print out. Felicity had sent her also clear instructions on how to print it out properly, so nobody would question the validity of the ID. Rachel looked around for the library staff. “Hi”, she asked an elderly lady, sorting out children’s books. “Can I print somewhere? In color and on thicker paper as normal? And do you know a place where I can laminate paper?” 

The librarian was looking at her a bit disturbed. 

“It’s for a …menu card…for our prom.” 

“Aaaah!”, said the librarian visibly relieved. 

After 30 minutes Rachel was out of the library with a fake ID card, freshly laminated. She didn’t realize how many amenities a public library had. Maybe she should go to it more often in San Francisco. She looked down on her fake ID. 

“Rochelle Robina Greyson. Does she know our barista?”, mumbled Rachel to herself and put the ID away. It didn’t matter. Hopefully, Dick wouldn’t have access to the guest list of accommodations. She went to the address she had looked up in the library, one of the hostels in town. She went inside, put her nicest smile, and all the confidence in her voice that supposedly Rochelle Robina Greyson would have. “Hey, can I get a bed in a dorm?” 

Dick woke up feeling like in pieces and barely rested. He didn’t sleep well, he had disturbing dreams about Rachel. Rachel losing balance on the ledge. Rachel floating in the air, falling to the ground like a ragdoll. Rachel vanishing from the beach. 

“Fuck”, he groaned. He put his hands in front of him and tried to massage his upcoming headache away. He didn’t understand how she just could run away. Didn’t he make himself clear that whatever was coming, he would be there for her? Why did she run away? Why didn’t she voiced her concern? His head pounded even more, and he blinked against the light, which was creeping through the blinds. 

He felt like he failed again as a parent. It was his duty to protect her and she ran away instead of asking for help. Was he too nice to her? Too strict? He felt lost with her at times, which made it even harder to not be insufferably overbearing to her. 

Slowly he got up, walking to the kitchen. The rest of the team was already sitting there, looking tired and gobsmacked like he was. Without saying anything Kory offered him a cup of black coffee, which he gratefully took and drank it in one go. Donna was entering the kitchen, looking utterly stressed with dark circles around her eyes. 

“You better be happy to be able to sleep in for so long”, she said to Dick, looking pissed. 

“Do you have the…” 

“Yes, I have the CCTV material in one hour. But we must look through 24 hours of security camera footage. We need the help of all of you.” Donna looked around in the tired faces, not looking thrilled. 

“I am tired too!”, said Donna bugged out. “But I want to find her, so you better bite the bullet and get it done!” She waltzed out of the kitchen. The rest of the team looked around in all the tired faces. 

“We don’t have a choice, do we?”, asked Hank. He was met with approving mumbles. 

Rachel was laying in her dorm bed and thinking about what her step would be. Felicity made clear she had to be incredibly careful and always blur her traces. Not only the risk was there that Dick and the other Titans would find her but also the persons who wanted her captive. Dr. Shoekeeper and his associates. Felicity gave her a new e-mail address which was secure and did tell her to login back at 5 pm in an internet café through a VPN server. Rachel didn’t understand most of the things she wanted her to do but she trusted Felicity. She was right; it was useless if she left the others only to get caught somewhere else because she wasn’t careful enough. She sighed. She had to eat something, but she also had to be careful with the rest of her money. Rachel didn’t know for how long she had to lay down and she hadn’t the possibility to earn money on her own. That would only waste valuable time to find the mastermind behind all of these. She stretched her legs out and slowly climbed down the dorm bed. As she descended the stairs down, she looked around the hostel. It was a colorful place, full of vibrant colors and fragrant flowers. She would love to show Dick the place, traveling with him through the city. 

The thought gave her sting to her heart and she felt how sadness filled her up. She continued her way down in the direction of the next internet café. 

“For how long do we have to go through this footage?”, asked Jason mad. Dick shot him a dirty look but didn’t say anything. They split up in teams of two and scanned through the footage of several security cameras of the bus station in Los Angeles Downtown. They were doing this for nearly three hours and they were almost on the end. Until now they didn’t catch Rachel on any of them and they already went through the whole 24 hours. 

“Should we be doing more urgent things?”, asked Jason defiantly. 

“Shut up, Jason”, mumbled Hank, knowing what would happen. 

Dick ignored him with all power he had. He knew Jason tried to provoke him. 

“Why search for some runaway teenager instead of solving the shit which yesterday happened?!” 

Dick stared down on the screen, gritting his teeth. 

“If she wants to run away from us, letting deal us with the shit, why should we be looking for her?” Jason was furious. 

“Jay!”, said Donna getting up and stopping Dick before he could attack Jason. “You better shut up before I forget myself.” 

“Or what? Are you both going to hit me?”, said Jason provokingly. 

Dick had heard enough. He unleashed himself from the grip of Donna’s hand and was about to push Jason at the wall when Hank stepped into his way.

“Guys…”, said Dawn but nobody heard her. 

“Get out of my way”, said Dick, glaring at Jason. 

“No, man. You should know better than him.” Hank folded his arms in front of him. 

“Get out of my way!” 

“No, Dick…” 

“GUYS! I HAVE FOUND HER!” Dawn’s yelling got them back to reality. 

“What?”, asked Donna, “where?” 

Dawn pointed in the direction of her screen. Rachel was standing there, clearly waiting for a bus, her hoodie down into her face, looking worried and tired. But it was her. 

Rachel scrolled through the findings Felicity had sent her. She whistled through her teeth. Felicity hadn’t a lot of time to search for something, but she did a detailed job pointing what they all have been missing. It was a lot and it did confirm Rachel’s suspicion. Dr. Shoekeeper didn’t act on his own, the whole thing seemed to be so much bigger than she imagined. He was right; it was naïve of them believing it was only him. He was only a small part of a network of unfathomable evilness. Rachel laid back on her chair, looking on the screen. She had to plan her next steps carefully if she ever wanted to chance to get through this network to whatever mastermind who was behind it. 

“Can you check for what bus she was waiting for? Donna?” Dick's voice was urgent. 

“Yes, I can…give me a minute…” Donna looked into the footage and checked the position and timestamp of the camera. That should be gate 15 at 8pm…that’s bus 9489 to….“ She looked up. “The bus goes to San Diego. She has to be in San Diego.” 

Dick looked at the screen and turned around. 

“Dick, where are you going?”, asked Dawn. 

“I am going to get my daughter back”, he said with a grim face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is my empty, please free to fill in kudos and comments!


	3. Inescapable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Rachel listens to a song which remembers her to Dick and she does one significant phone call...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyah!  
> I am typing this on my phone on the highway 😅 I am not the one driving, don't you worry!  
> I am still on my camping trip but I wouldn't miss an update of this story, so I am doing this on my phone.  
> You're looking forward to some angst and maybe something which could read as fluff, but you know it's me... meaning don't make yourself too comfortable in the fluffy bubble 😈

Chapter 3 - Inescapable 

“Dick” Donna ran after him. “Are you sure that is the right thing to do?” 

He sighed visibly. “Why shouldn’t it be?” 

“She doesn’t want to be found; you remember?” 

“So what?” 

“Do you remember how you wanted to go away when Slade threatened to kill all Titans?” 

He closed his eyes, thinking. Of course, it was similar. But it was Rachel. 

“I can’t, Donna, I just can’t let her go.” 

Donna looked at him, worriedly. “But you know you have to do it one day. She won’t be always here; she will go away one day eventually.” 

Dick looked down, his eyes saddened. “I know, Donna. But I am not ready to let her go. I just got her back and only a week ago I thought I lost her for good. I am sorry, but I must be selfish there. I can let her out there, not nothing who is going to follow here and just wait until she figures it out. She is my responsibility and I have to take care of her. It’s not only my duty as the leader of the Titans but also as her…dad.” He paused and Donna nodded. She did understand the sentiment, even she wasn’t that close with Rachel. She did understand it was more than being rational; it was Dick’s uttermost belief that he needs to protect her. Protective and caring Dick; the person she knew since they have been kids. 

Donna walked to him, squeezed his shoulder gently, and said. “I get it, Dick. Go and get her.” 

He was about to go and get his stuff when Kory burst out of the tech room. 

“It’s happening again.” Her look was terrified. 

“What is happening?”, asked Donna confused. 

“The city is turning nuts.” 

Rachel was laying in her dorm bed and tried to sleep. But sleep wouldn’t come to her, she felt uneasy, she couldn’t calm down. Dr. Shoekeeper wasn’t alone. What Felicity sent her indicated that throughout the past month's several people, known for their superpower, had been disappearing. No one known in public, just people you would consider ordinary, but they had some sort of superpower. Rachel was the first person, who was well known in the community who tried to capture her. But as Felicity put it “Dr. Shoekeeper was incredibly sloppy and unable to get through”, so he had to leave a trail of dead girls before he appeared on the radar of the Titans. Before that, he was only a petty thief, known for his robbery of expensive shoes than for killing young women for their shoes. His sudden change was strange and didn’t make any sense. Felicity pointed out that something which Dick and the others should have noticed and research before going on mission. Were they preoccupied before they went against Dr. Shoekeeper? Rachel didn’t know and whatever she did she couldn’t remember. 

She groaned and turned around on her bunk bed. 

“Can’t sleep too?”, asked someone from below her bed. 

Rachel looked down, feeling sorry. “Sorry. Did I wake you up?” 

“Not really”, said the person below her. It was a young woman, maybe a few years older than herself. “I can’t sleep myself…I have been lay awake for a while now.” She straightened her back. “What’s your name?” 

“It’s... Ra…Rochelle. And you?” 

“I am Patrcyja, but you call me Patty. Where are you coming from?” 

“Errm…Gotham. And you?” 

“Poland. Isn’t Gotham the city with Batman and the other one. I forgot his name…but he was always so nice and caring to people.” 

Rachel smiled. “You mean Robin. Yeah, he’s a nice guy.” She looked in the distance and sighed. 

“Having a hard time?”, asked Patty.

“Somehow, I do.” 

“I just did listen to a song from a friend of mine. It’s in German, it’s about the wish to have something in life that remains. Do you want to listen?”, she pointed to her headphones. 

“Sure”, said Rachel and carefully climbed down the bed to Patty. She gave her one earphone and Rachel put it in her right ear. 

“My friend gave me the English translation to the lyrics, wait a sec.” Patty was scrolling through her phone and giving it Rachel. She hit play on the phone. 

Rachel looked on the screen, listening to the song and reading the words. It was a typical upbeat pop song, but the voice of the woman singing sounded urgent like she was singing about something very important to her. 

_Tell me that this place is safe_

_and all good things come to rest_

_and that the word you give me today_

_is still valid for another day._

Rachel looked up to Patty, who was smiling at her. She didn’t expect that. 

_This world is fast and has forgotten to be steady_

_because temptations set their terms._

_But please swear that when I return_

_everything is still the same._

_Give me a little bit of security_

_in a world where nothing seems secure_

_Give me something that remains in these fast times_

_Just give me something to hold on to_

_and make me feel secure_

_Pull me out of these fast times_

_and slow me down a little bit_

_Give me something, anything, that remains_

The guitars and the drums were picking up speed and Rachel felt like she was tearing up. 

_Even when the world is going crazy_

_this here stays untouched._

_Nothing happens._

_Give me a little bit of security_

_in a world where nothing seems secure_

_Give me something that remains in these fast times_

_Just give me something to hold on to_

_and make me feel secure_

_Pull me out of these fast times_

_and slow me down a little bit_

_Give me something, anything, that remains._

As the song was ending, Rachel felt like she was gasping for air. She had to think about Dick and how much this song remembered her of Dick, taking care of her. How she relayed on him so many times, how many times he was there for her. Even when the world went crazy, what they had stayed untouched. Even during her amnesia, he was able to connect with her and give her the feeling of being secure. He was the thing that remained in her life, even everything was crumbling away. Running away from him, cutting him off felt suddenly so unfair to all the love and care he had for her. He must worry sick, really sick. 

Rachel felt how the tears were pricking in her eyes. Patty looked at her, worriedly. 

Rachel cleared her throat, tried to regain her composure which she had left. 

“Can I borrow your phone?”, she asked Patty. The young woman smiled faintly and gave it hers to Rachel.

Rachel got up and left the room. She walked down the stairs until she was outside on the bustling street of the Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego. She looked down at the screen, fumbled for the scrape of paper where she not only put Felicity’s e-mail address down but also Dick’s number. With numb fingers, she started typing his number on the screen and hit call. 

Dick and the others were fighting what felt like the whole low life of the Bay area. Kory wasn’t exaggerating when she said the whole world was going nuts again. They had so many danger alerts on the screen, they couldn’t really handle them. Like last night all over again. Someone was putting these criminals up on purpose, but whoever they asked they wouldn’t talk. Dick was growing frustrated. They couldn’t work their ass off night for night. 

They were just changing scenery from a very brutal robbery in a small deli to what seems like motorbike gang going rogue. Dick was sitting in the team van as he suddenly saw his smartwatch showing an incoming call. He looked down on the number starting with a +48. That wasn’t number from the US, for sure. He accepted the call. 

“Who’s there?”, he demanded. 

“Dick.” 

He felt his heart sink to the bottom. 

“Rachel? Rachel, where are you?”

Everyone around him looked up, surprised. 

“Dick…I can’t say, please. I just wanted to say… I am doing this to protect you all. It’s better this way…” 

Dick felt panic rising in his chest. He knew that tone in her voice; he used this tone every time he was about doing something stupid and dangerous. 

“Rachel…please…you have to come back home. You aren’t safe out there.” 

He heard her sob. It was breaking his heart. 

“I can’t, I really can’t! I will come back, I’ll promise! But you all must stay in San Francisco until I figured what I will do against them. Promise me that.” 

“Rachel…I can’t…” 

“I love you, dad. Thank you for everything you did so far, you have been the best thing in my life. Goodbye.” 

“Noo, Rachel..noo!” She hung up. He was looking in the distance, in total shock. He couldn’t move, he couldn’t breathe. 

“DICK!” Donna was shaking him. “What did she say?” 

“She said…that she loved me, thanked me for everything I have done so far, and that I have been the best thing in her life. And then she said goodbye and hung up.” 

He looked in the faces of the other Titans, pale as snow. 

“She is going to do something very stupid and dangerous, isn’t she?” Dawn's voice sounded horrified. 

“No, I won’t allow it!”, said Donna being angry. She took a notebook from below her seat and opened it. “I’n gonna track down the number and you go and get her!” She was typing furiously on the keyboard. 

“You can do that?”, asked Hank surprised.

“Believe me, after the last days I’ve got more power than the NSA.” 

“So it was a Polish number…from…it’s loading….Patrycja Kulig. I am going to track down the number now….loading, loading, loading…loading please faster…loading…726 5th Avenue, San Diego. That is also….the address of a hostel”, concluded Donna. 

“That would explain why she had a Polish phone number”, said Kory. 

Donna looked at Dick, full of expectation. “I think we should drop you off at the tower, you get the fastest car out of Bruce’s garage and bring her ass back as soon as possible, don’t you think?” 

“Hell yeah.” 

Rachel woke up early in the morning, feeling exhausted. After she called Dick she went straight back to bed, handing Patty her phone back and cried in her pillow as quiet she could. She knew Patty probably heard her, but she didn’t say anything, what Rachel welcomed. She wasn’t ready to talk about it. She did say goodbye to him as she was expecting that there was a chance that she wouldn’t return to him. She didn’t think about that before but that actually might happen. She might not return to the Tower if something would go wrong. 

She groaned and got up. Slowly she went down, got in the kitchen, and got some toast and black coffee. She looked around, being amongst all the mostly young people she was fitting in. Nobody really cared about her. She swallowed her toast and emptied her cup. She needed to go out, to another internet café and get some more information about Dr. Shoekeeper. 

She stepped outside, the bright sun blinding her. She stretched her arms and was walking down the street as suddenly she registered a black BMW 520i Touring, which she had the feeling she had seen before. She tried to look through the tinted windows as she realized where she had seen this car before. It was the car that was in the garage at the Titans tower, who Dick said jokingly was valuable enough to get her through college. 

“Fuck!” She started to run the street. She knew it has been a risk to call him from Pavlina’s phone, but she thought it was too short of a phone call to track her down. 

The car also seemed to realize what she was doing and turned around at the end of the street, following her. She took a right turn, running down G street. At the back of her head, she saw that the BMW followed her easily. She didn’t have to look twice that it was Dick on the steering wheel. 

She had to escape to something small where he couldn’t follow. At the first avenue, she spotted a Ralph’s supermarket and slipped in there. She was trying to calm down. She had to win time. He had to park his car first before he could follow her. She walked through the aisle until she saw the supermarket had a second entry. “Thank God”, she mumbled and exited the supermarket. She was blinking against the sun and her eyes finally got used to the light, when she saw Dick standing in front of her. 

“Rachel.” He was looking exhausted, red eyes, looking incredibly tired. She couldn’t say anything, she was staring at him and then she did the only thing which came to her mind: she started to run. 

“What the…?” Dick was standing there, perplex. Did Rachel just run away from him? 

He shook his head, unbelieving that she would run away from him. Not only on a personal level but also…she had to know that he was way faster than her. 

He ran after her and within one block he closed on her in. He took her arm, keeping her steady. She was panting heavenly. 

“Rachel…” 

“Leave me be! Please!” She was trying to get away from him. 

“Rachel, please, we have to talk…” 

“No!” She opened her hands and he instinctively put his hand over it and pulled her in a hug. 

“Sssh, everything will be, all right, okay? Everything will be all right, okay?” 

He felt how the tension was leaving her body and she sunk into his arms. 

“Hey, Rachel, whatever is going on I am here for you and we’re getting through this together, okay?” 

“But…” 

“No but. We are doing this together. Never again run away from me, okay?” He stroked her head and rocked her softly. She nodded silently and he felt how his shirt went wet from her tears. 

“You can’t do this to me. I was so worried sick”, he said his voice stricken with fear. 

“Okay”, she mumbled. 

“Promise, Rachel, you have to promise me that.” 

“I promise, dad, I promise.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Source Lyrics: https://lyricstranslate.com
> 
> The song is called "Irgendetwas das bleibt" from the band Silbermond. 
> 
> https://youtu.be/GsRuJjgyZdQ


	4. Warning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boom.

They were sitting at Starbucks, looking in their cups and nobody was speaking up. Rachel felt tired; her restless night getting on her. Her eyes were puffy from crying in Dick’s arms just a few minutes ago. Dick was also looking tired, struggling to keep his red eyes open.

“Did you drive here at night?”, she asked him suddenly.

He smiled weakly. “Yeah. This was important enough.”

“You look exhausted.”

“Hmm. Didn’t get a lot of sleep of late.”

Rachel felt guilty because she suspected her disappearance was the reason. She started to yawn herself as she didn’t sleep very long in the hostel.

“Maybe we should lookout for a hotel, so we sleep before we go back.” Dick looked at her questionably.

“Maybe that isn’t the worst idea.”

They emptied their cups and Dick paid the waitress.

“I have to get my stuff from the hostel, first”, explained Rachel.

“No prob. I come with you.” Rachel looked at Dick, not knowing if he suggested that because he wanted to accompany her, or he was afraid she would run again. They had to talk at some point about what was going on. But now wasn’t the time. They walked back to the hostel in silence. Rachel was about to get into the Hostel when Patty was just leaving it.

She looked from her to Dick standing outside.

“You’re all right?”, she asked worriedly.

Rachel smiled. “Yeah…we … reached an understanding.”

“Oh okay”, said Patty smiling. “I’m glad to hear it. Bye then.” She waved her and went her way. Rachel looked after her and sighed quietly. She went up the room, took her things, and went back to the reception to check out.

She left the hostel, seeing Dick still standing there, looking extremely tired. She felt guilty.

“So, what now?”, she asked.

“We’re going back to the car and then we drive to a hotel. I already organized a place.”

They were crashing on their twin bed in a Best Western hotel. Dick didn’t say much, just stirred her in the general direction of the room. Rachel was afraid of asking anything really. She suspected he would angry, even if he never indicated that.

She laid down on the bed, closing her eyes lids. She felt how the tiredness of her body reached her in the shortest time. She was almost asleep when she felt how Dick took off her black boots. She groaned and turned around. He bent down on her head and gave her a soft kiss on the forehead.

“Good night, my darling.”

“…night…dad…”

Rachel woke up after several hours, blinking and taking her surrounding in. Dick was standing at windows, having a cup of coffee in his hand and he was looking at her. His face was full of sorrow.

“Dick, what’s going on?”, she asked still dazzled by sleep.

“Nothing, I was just thinking.” He turned around to the windows, looking outside.

Rachel straightened herself up. “We probably should talk about why I ran away.”

“Hrm….or why do you have fake ID with you.”

“You went through my stuff?”, asked Rachel.

“Sorry”, he said, groaning. “Detective’s habit.”

“I can take care of myself”, she said, anger swinging in her voice.

“Rachel…you had a severe head trauma 3 weeks back. You still suffering from amnesia. You have to understand my position on this.”

“Yeah, I do but Felicity said there are more people as Dr. Shoekeeper out there….”

“So, Felicity Smoak helped you. I should guess that.” He sighed and rolled his eyes, but he also smiled softly.

“I found her name in my contacts and she wanted to help…”

“I figured. You get on very well when she was in San Francisco.”

“Does she know of our barista?”, asked Rachel curiously.

“Because of the name of the ID?” He laughed softly. “You brought her to our favorite cafe and she was laughing her arse off because of that.”

“That would explain it.”

“It does, Rochelle Robina Greyson.” He smirked at her. He wouldn’t tell how he felt when he saw the ID card and his last name, even wrongly spelled. Before she had her head trauma, he was looking into the possibility to make it into an official thing, but then the whole thing happened and he put it back.

He sat down on her bed, looking her into eyes.

“Rachel…was did Dr. Shoekepper told you what got you so afraid that you thought you had run away?”

“He said he wasn’t alone and Felicity confirmed that.”

“What do you mean?”

“Dr. Shoekeeper wasn’t always that psychopath who was murdering young women. A few months back he was just robbing expensive shoe shops and all of the sudden he started to kill people. And Felicity said there are humans with superpowers are disappearing. No one famous, but they don’t disappear without reason.”

“What has that to do with you?”

“I think they want me…so he was trying to get our attention by killing these other women…”

“That wouldn’t explain the recent attacks in San Francisco…”, mumbled Dick to himself until he realized he said it out loud. Rachel looked at him, shocked.

“What attacks? What is going on in San Francisco?!”

“Rachel…please calm down…”

“No, you tell me now!”, she demanded.

“I….”, he groaned laid back on the bed. “The Titans have been under attack the last two nights, under massive attacks. It’s like every criminal in the Bay area is on the street, doing their things.”

“But…but…why you are here then? The others need you!” Rachel looked flabbergasted.

“Because I have to bring you to security first.”

“Back to the Titans Tower?”

“No….I thought I could bring you to Bruce to Gotham for a while until we have that figured out.”

“What?”, protested Rachel. “You can’t do that, I can handle them! I have to take their attention away from you!”

“Only over my dead body.” Dick sat up from Rachel’s bed.

“You aren’t my real fa…”, snapped Rachel at him. Before she could finish, he already looked at her, anger in his eyes.

“But you are my responsibility and I can’t have running around in the arms of an unknown villain!”

“You don’t see it, do you? It’s too dangerous if I am near to you!”

“It doesn’t matter, Rachel. I have to look out for you and I won’t let you chase some ominous network. “

“You can’t give me orders!”, Rachel snarled.

“I can and I will, Rachel.” His voice was getting louder, even if he was still far away from screaming.

“That’s not fair, I just want to protect you and keep you safe.”

“I can say the same thing, Rachel. But I am the grown-up, so I call the shots.”

“Dick, I have to go after them before they do something more to you and the others!”

“No! And that’s my last word to this topic! I forbid it!” Dick was growling.

Rachel looked at him, unbelievable, and got up quickly, leaving the room.

“Rachel!”, he shouted after her. But she walked away anyway. Swearing under his breath he followed her.

“Rachel….please wait…” He was taking her arms, trying to bring her to stop walking.

“How is that fair? If you want to protect us, you just go! But if I want the same right, you won’t give it to me?”

“Rachel, that isn’t the same situation!”

“Yes, it is!”, she screamed. “You left us back, don’t you remember? You went to jail! Why can’t I have the same right as you?!”

“Because I am grown up and you are still a teenage girl.”

“I saved the world from the destruction of my father! Isn’t that good enough to trust me with more responsibilities?”

“My answer is and stays no, Rachel! You’re my responsibility and I won’t let you go against these lunatics out there on your own because you simply think it’s the better way to deal with the situation! It isn’t rational and I won’t have it, period!” Dick wasn’t screaming, but his loud and clear words made it clear that there was no room for discussion anymore.

Rachel stomped out of the hallway, leaving the hotel back and going down the street. She was furious. She knew Dick loved her and she loved him back, but he had to give her more space! She wasn’t a small kid anymore, she wasn’t the Rachel from Detroit anymore, she was growing up and she was more than ready to face her own decisions!

She wasn’t walking for long before he caught up on her. He took her left elbow to bring her to a halt. “Please Rachel…”, he pleaded.

“I just want to keep you safe and when you are out there on your own, I can’t do that and it’s killing me.”

Rachel stopped walking and looked down. She knew, he was right at some point. He was also as stubborn as herself. She sighed.

“I’m hungry”, she said to change the subject. “Can we get pizza?”

“Sure” Dick took the car keys of his pocket and stirred her in the direction of the parked BMW. When they reached the car and he clicked open on the car key, he heard a clicking which wasn’t usual to the car. He stopped, thinking about where the sound could come from. Rachel was nearing herself at the car and was about to open the passenger door. Suddenly Dick realized where the sound must come from and he started to scream.

“NO, RACHEL!”, he pushed her aside with so much force, so she stumbled a few steps back. He wanted to push the door back, but it was too late. The mechanism was already activated.

Rachel had to watch how the BMW was exploding in front of her and Dick. He had just pushed her back, but he couldn’t bring himself in safety before the car bomb went off. The fireball swallowed him easily and Rachel saw his open wide eyes, staring at her in terror.

“DICK!”, she screamed, feeling her heart breaking from fear and pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Je regrette rien :evil;


	5. Prepare for the worst

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Dick is laying unconscious in the ICU, Rachel decides she need to go before something more worse can happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *I am so sorry!*   
> My tuesday was exhausting as hell, I totally forgot, then I wanted to do it on wednesday, but forgot again and today, on thursday, it didn't end up on my daily to do list O.o   
> Thank Jane I saw it accidently and I just did a quick correction on it. Promise I will back on tuesday again!

Chapter 5 Prepare for the worst

Rachel coughed violently, the dark smoke getting into her lungs and leaving her back blinded. She blinked several times, her ears ringing from the explosion. Dick, she thought, I must help Dick! She crawled back to him on all fours. The blast from the explosion had tossed him back from the burning car. She made to him, looking down on his burned and lifeless body. “Noooo!”, she screamed and pressed her hands on his chest. He couldn’t be dead, he couldn’t be! It was all her fault; she shouldn’t have him let go near her! She knew that this would happen. 

She pushed all her powers into him and tried to concentrate to heal his wounds and bring him back from the verge of dying. She felt how his wounds were closing, but it was draining her to point of fainting. He didn’t move, she couldn’t hear him breathe. 

“Noo, you idiot, you won’t die on me!” She pleaded, her tears streaming down her cheeks. Black dots were dancing in front of her eyes, but she pushed once again all her energy towards him. She felt like somebody hit her with a baseball bat, she stumbled back on her back. She felt nauseous and dizzy at once, her world spinning. On the back of her eye, she could see how Dick opened his eyes, gasped for air, and felt back. 

He’s alive was the last thought she had before she fell unconscious. 

“Miss, Miss? Can you hear me?” Someone was shaking her lightly. With the biggest effort, she opened her eyelids, blinking against the sun and the shadow who was looming over her. 

“Miss? You have been in an accident…” said the person standing over her. 

“….Dick!”, she gasped and jolted upwards. 

The person, a paramedic as it seems, was raising his hands and pushing her back softly. He did understand what she meant. “The man you were with is okay. He’s unconscious but thank god he is barely injured. We bought him to the hospital to check him out.” Rachel sighed, relieved. 

“Maybe we should check you, too. You were standing near the explosion, weren’t you?”, asked the paramedic frowning at her. 

Rachel shoved his hand away. “I am okay, I just got unconscious.” 

“I am not sure about that…maybe you hit your head…” 

“I am good”, said Rachel and got up with a swift movement. She felt still dizzy and she had a headache coming on, but that wasn’t important right now. The paramedic gave her a doubting look “Can I ride with him to the hospital?”

“They brought the man already to UC San Diego. It’s just a short drive, so I can take you with me.” 

Rachel was running to the reception and was just stop in front of the counter. 

“I need to see Dick Grayson!” She burst out. 

“First of please calm done, Miss. Who are you and for whom you are looking?” 

“I am his d…” Rachel stopped mid-sentence. Even if she felt like it, she wasn’t his daughter. Not yet at least. They never sorted the whole custody/guardian thing out. 

“I am his niece”, she said. “He was brought here because of a car bomb.” 

The nurse was looking at, skeptical. She typed in something on her computer. “We had someone admitted with the name of Dick Grayson to ICU just 30 minutes ago.” She fixated Rachel with her eyes. “So, he is your uncle? Do you have any proof of that? Where are your parents anyway?” 

Rachel felt how she was getting angry, but she had no choice than to play nice with the nurse. 

“I am going to call his sister, my aunt, okay? Do you a telephone around here? I lost mine during the accident.” 

The nurse gave her one critical look before handing over her the landline. Rachel took out her scrape of paper and typed in Donna’s phone number. It was ringing. 

“Who’s there?” 

“It’s…Rachel”, she said as lowly as possible. The nurse didn’t need to know her name. “Dick was in an accident and he’s in the hospital right now…I…”

“What the fuck? What is going on?!” Donna was yelling. 

“It was a car bomb, but…he’s alive. I … could manage to do that”, she said vaguely, so nobody would ask questions. She heard Donna exhaling deeply, so Rachel continued to speak. 

“The nurse won’t let me to him, because I can’t prove that I am his next of kin. I told her….” she whispered, “that you are his sister and I am his niece.” 

She heard Donna sighed annoyed. “Okay, I get it. Give me the nurse, I handle this.” 

Rachel went back to the counter, handing over the phone to the nurse. 

“USCD, you’re speaking with the reception?” 

Rachel saw the nurse listening to Donna speaking, nodding, and saying “yes” several times. After a few minutes, she handed over the phone again to Rachel. “She wants to speak to you again.” Rachel took it. 

“Listen up kid, I am coming down there. You stay put and don’t go and do anything else than just wait for me, okay? Otherwise, you get your _auntie_ Donna to know.” 

Rolling her eyes Rachel knew she had no choice. “Okay. Till later then.” She hung up and gave the nurse back her phone. 

The nurse was looking at her, disapproving. “As your aunt just explained to me, that you have been in San Diego to check out possible colleges with your uncle it’s okay if you see him.” She said that in a tone like she knew that the whole story was a lie. “He’s on the first floor, room 1-22.” Before she could add anything more as Rachel was already gone. 

Rachel was sitting in the room on an uncomfortable chair, looking down on Dick. He was attached to several wires, he was so pale and vulnerable, Rachel was still afraid he was dead. The nurse who was checking on him seem to have mercy with her, she touched Rachel’s shoulder lightly. “You all right, love?” 

Rachel was startled up from her slumber. “Yeah…I am just…” 

“You don’t have to worry; he will be all right. It’s a miracle he’s only injured that lightly…it was a car bomb after all.” 

Rachel smiled faintly “I know.” 

“Your uncle is going to be on his feet again very soon”, said the nurse patting her shoulder and leaving her be. 

Rachel sighed and went over to Dick’s bed, sat down, and took his hands in hers. She drew circles into his hands with her thumbs. 

“….Rachel.” His voice was hoarse and barely audible. 

“Dad?”, she whispered, her eyes filling with tears. 

He smiled, squeezed her hand and his eyes fluttered slightly. “I love you”, said Rachel as tears were falling down her cheeks. She touched his cheeks and felt how already slipped back to sleep. 

Rachel didn’t know how long she was sitting on the bed when Donna burst into the room. She looked stressed out, disheveled, and tired. She came to a sudden halt when she saw Dick laying there. 

“Oh wow”, she said, her eyes wide open. “Didn’t think that Wonder Boy gets really injured one day”, she said after a while. 

Rachel looked up, sleepy and her back aching from crouching down to Dick.

“Donna…you’re here.” 

“Yep, I am here to save you two”, she said, groaning and letting fall on the chair Rachel was previously sitting. “The nurses said you refused to get check through. You okay, kiddo?”

“Don’t you worry about me…Donna, I have a big favor to ask.” 

“Oh no, my answer is no!” She nodded her head visibly. “I know this face and you want to do something really stupid, which I guess would Dick highly disapprove and that’s why you are asking me. Am I right?” 

Rachel felt silent before she answered. “It would be really safer for you if I am not around.” 

“Rachel…no. Even if I would understand what is going on right now, Dick would kill me if I would let you go.” 

“Donna, listen to me. Felicity Smoak sent me information, actual proofs, how many people with superpowers are disappearing right now: Dr. Shoekeeper was a small criminal before he went on a killing spree and we tried to get him. You should know, you did the intel, right?” 

Donna frowned. “Well…yeah. I found it very strange he went from nothing to a serial killer, but we didn’t have the time to check it out.” 

“See? Felicity believes it’s coordinated from New York by someone who knows the scene. They targeted me before and they will do it again. They won’t stop until they got me, or I stop them!” 

“You mean the attack in San Francisco is their work?” 

Rachel frowned. “Which attacks?” 

“So, Dick didn’t tell? Typical. The whole city gets nuts the last few nights, always between 9 pm and 1 am. It’s like every crime is happening at once. We are so busy and exhausted…I don’t think we can hold it for any longer.” 

Rachel stood up and throw her arms in the air. “So, you agree! I have to go to them!” 

“Rachel…you don’t get it. Okay, I understand your arguments, but you know it’s incredibly dangerous and you still have amnesia…and Dick would kill me if I let you go.” 

She groaned in frustration. “Don’t you get it, Donna? It won’t get better with me! How many car bombs do you need before you see the necessity? I couldn’t get him to heal properly because it was so bad!” 

Donna got up, murmuring to herself, and laid herself to the wall. She closed her eyes, massaged her temples, and took a deep breath. 

“Okay, I understand you and I am trusting you on this. But you have to report to us at least daily and you have to be traceable all the time.” 

Rachel face lit up and she got to Donna, putting her hands on her forearms. “You won’t regret it, Donna, I promise.” 

“I will totally regret it as soon he’s awake, but I can deal with Dick.” 

“Thanks…but I need money”, said Rachel looking expectantly. 

Donna sighed and took her credit cards out of her wallet and shoved into Rachel's open hand. 

“If you buying shit with it, you gonna pay me back.” 

Donna was sitting on the chair and was looking down on Dick. He was still asleep, looking more peaceful than a few hours before. Rachel had left, kissing his forehead goodbye and texted she would take the first available flight to New York. 

Dick groaned and slowly opened his eyes.

“Good morning sleepyhead”, teased Donna him. 

“Donna”, he mumbled. “You are here?” 

“Yep. Rachel called me.” 

“Aah”, he was trying to get up and look around. “Where is she by the way? I think I already saw her shortly when I was awake for a second.” 

Donna cleared her throat. “About that…maybe we want to postpone this talk until you feel better…” 

“Donna – where is she?” 

“Well…I mean…I think….” 

“Donna. Where is Rachel?” He straightened up and looked her straight into her eyes. 

“She is on her way to New York”, winced Donna. 

“SHE IS WHAT?” Dick was looking shocked and mad as hell. 

Donna nodded and took a step back. 

“On her own?!”, he asked angrily. 

Donna nodded again, slowly. 

“How…how she’s going to go there? She has no money!” 

“I …. I gave her my credit card.” 

“You gave her what? You allowed this? Donna!” He was yelling at her, his eyes shining furiously. “Are you completely out of your mind?! Why would you let her go?” 

“Because she’s right, it’s best if she goes on her own after them. And you already got hurt…” 

“I couldn’t give less shit about that! It’s Rachel, for fuck sake!” 

“She promised she would be traceable and would report daily….” 

“That’s not enough, Donna! If something is happening to her in New York, I can’t do anything from here! Just give me my phone!” 

Donna, still shocked by his behavior, gave him his phone. “What are you going to do?” 

“I will ask the only person who is fast enough in New York and can keep an eye on her.” 

“Superman?”, asked Donna unbelievable. 

“Almost Superman.” He hit the call button on his phone. 

“Hi, Kara, it’s Dick. We have to talk.” 


	6. With help from friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I said I would post on Tuesday...and I f** up.  
> So, it's Wednesday and now you get your update.  
> I try - don't promie though - to post next week on Tuesday.  
> Have fun, anyway.

Chapter 6

Rachel's flight landed in New York during a snowstorm. She got out, chills going through her body. Immediately she missed the sunny winter in California. She stumbled through the crowd. She had no idea where she should start. She had booked a bed in a dorm in a hostel again and Felicity had promised she would dig deeper where exactly in New York this whole operation was organized. Rachel took the exit for the subway, looking for the line that would take her to her HI hostel in Upper West Side. As she was sitting down in the subway, looking out in the snowsquall she was thinking of all the things which were happened in the last few days. It felt overwhelming like she wasn’t able to breathe anymore, but she couldn’t give in this sentiment. She had to solve who was behind the attacks and she couldn’t rely on the help of the others. She saw what happened in San Diego when she let people in she loved. They would be killed. She shuddered, pulling her jacket more to the middle of her torso. She took her phone out and texted Donna that she arrive safely in New York. 

Donna’s phone vibrating. She took out of her pocket, seeing a text message from an unknown number. It was Rachel telling her, that she arrived safely in New York. 

_ >> Good _she texted back. 

_ >> How’s Dick? _

_ >> He’s awake and well enough to give me death glare all the time. He’s so pissed that you went to New York. _

Donna put her phone down and looked at Dick. “She arrived safely in New York”, she informed him briefly. He didn’t look up and ignored her. 

“C’mon Dick! Can you please stop being offended?!” 

He turned his head, his eyes still looking furiously. 

“Or give me death glares. It’s Rachel, she will survive this.” 

“You don’t know her. She’s my responsibility and it should have been my responsibility if she leaves or not”, he murmured and turned his head. 

Donna sighed. She knew that Dick could stubborn but this was going to be tiring. 

“Kara promised she would keep an eye on her. Isn’t that enough?” 

Before he could add anything to it, Donna’s phone vibrated again. Looking down on the screen she saw it, Kory. She accepted the call and put it on the speaker. 

“Hey Kory, you are on the speaker.” 

“Hi, Donna and Dick. How are you doing, Dick?” 

“I am good”, he said brashly. 

“He’s pissed that I let Rachel go to New York.” 

“Hmm”, said Kory, “I agree on this with Donna, to be honest, Dick.” 

Dick rolled his eyes and didn’t say anything. Donna started to giggle because she never saw Dick rolling his eyes. It was hilarious.

“So what’s going on Kory? Still the nightly attacks?”, asked Donna as soon she had calm down.

“Yep….but I think they are getting fewer because most criminals are in jail by now…but it’s exhausting.” 

“Do we know where these attacks are coming?”, asked Dick. 

“No…but Felicity Smoak called about that.” 

Dick snorted and Donna guessed he wasn’t so happy about Felicity’s interference. 

“Okay, what she’s saying?” 

“That’s it coordinated, probably somewhere from New York. It seems like the want tired us out so they can continue their plan.” 

“Exactly what she Rachel told, too”, concluded Donna. 

Dick groaned. “But why do we have to send a minor with amnesia to a potential mastermind? Please tell me, I am not the only one who sees that as a big mistake?” 

“Dick, see it this way…they are after her, initially. If she’s faster than them, she has a chance to stop him.” 

“But if not?”, he asked angrily. “You know what they are going to do her! We could send somebody else!” 

Kory sighed through the phone. “To be honest…we have no capacity, Dick. We are occupied every night. That’s our best shot with Rachel.” 

“Or we could ask for help from others. Like Bruce or Diana”, suggested Donna. 

“Absolutely not”. Dick wasn’t ready to ask Bruce for something which was entirely his fault in the beginning. “I am going to New York.” 

“To do what, Dick?”, asked Donna exasperated. 

“To bring Rachel home and bring this to an end.” 

“They won’t let you go before tomorrow. You’ve heard the doctor.” 

“Until then Kara is hopefully looking over her.”

He looked stubborn to Donna, who started to roll her eyes. 

“You did what?”, asked Kory disbelieving. 

“Dick asked Kara, aka Supergirl, to look over Rachel when she’s in New York.” 

“Why?”, asked Kory. “She said she was reporting back and that she’s traceable, didn’t she?” 

“That’s not good enough”, murmured Dick. 

“Guys…I know her pretty well and she will be royally pissed about that.” 

“I already said that to him…but Dick he’s prepared to take the risk.” 

“I am…it’s better for Rachel this way.” Dick was looking unflinching. 

Rachel was walking around Manhattan with the strange feeling someone was following her. She looked around her shoulders and tried to point out what felt wrong. She didn’t see someone suspicious, but something was wrong. She continued walking until she found a small street to turn. She turned like she planned to go down there and pressed herself against the wall, waiting. A young blond woman with glasses and ponytail turned into the same street. She knew it! 

Rachel jumped in front of the woman, her arms folded in front of her. 

“Who are you and do you want?”, she demanded. 

“Oh…you got me”, said the woman surprised. “I am Kara…I am a friend of Dick. He asked me to look after you while you are in New York.” 

“Seriously? He sends you?” Rachel groaned. Why couldn’t he just let her go? Where was his trust in her? Rachel shook her head. “Just go”, she said, “ I am fine on my own.” 

“I can’t do that…I’ve promised I would look after you.” She explained apologetically. 

“You only stand in my way…it’s risky what I am doing.” 

“Don’t you worry about me, Rachel, I am fine.” 

“No, you won’t! That’s the whole reason I want to go alone and Dick knows that!” She had enough. She opened her hands and with her power, she pushed Kara away, just enough so she was out of the way. Rachel started to run down the street to the next subway. She got down on the subway, scrolling to her phone. She opened the conversation with Donna shooting a text at her. 

_ >> Why did you send someone to babysit me? I said I am going to do that alone! _

She drove until 191st and got out of the subway. She looked around, she didn’t know where she was exactly, but she knew she had to go undercover. If Kara was able to follow her so easily, she was too a target for the organization which was behind her. 

As she walking down the street, she felt like someone grabbed her from behind into a dark alley. She stumbled back on her but, looking up, seeing Kara standing over her. Only she wasn’t Kara anymore, she was Supergirl.

“You’re Supergirl?”, she asked unbelievingly. 

“You’ve got me. That whole thing wasn’t nice by the way.” 

“I said I wanted to be alone!”

“And I said I have the promise to keep to Dick. I am sure you have your reason, but that’s a very dangerous area even with a kid with superpowers.” 

“You don’t get, do you? Like the others.” Rachel shook her head, frustrated about the situation .”They are targeting people with superpowers, they are disappearing for several months now. And they want me, specifically. They tried now through Dr. Shoekeeper, the bombed Dick’s car…if you are with me you are in danger, too. Even with this getup.” 

“Rachel…I am Supergirl. I can defend myself.” 

“So do I!”, protested Rachel. 

“You are minor…I am sorry, but I have to agree with Dick there.” 

“Unbelievable! Is my age the only thing you are seeing?” 

Kara sighed. “As I don’t know more better…yes, that’s basically on what I have to base my assumption.” 

Rachel got up, straighten her back. “I am no coming with you under no fucking circumstances or reason.” 

Kara looked at her, sadness in her eyes. “I don’t want to use force at you.” 

“Me neither.” 

“Rachel…please, just come with me.” 

“No!” 

Kara rolled her eyes and took her by the elbow again. “You are coming with me. Now!” 

Rachel tried to get out of her grip, but it was too firm for her. She had to see how Kara looked around and dragged her back to the street. It was useless. She couldn’t fight her in the open street, even it was dark by now. She had to find a different solution to get off here. She was looking around, hastily. In the corner of the eye, she saw some dumpster standing around. She opened her left hand carefully and before Kara could do something, she sent the dumpster with help of her magic into a crowded intersection. An old lady with a walking frame was slowly crossing the intersection. Kara had to help her before she was run over by the dumpster. She let go of Rachel, who took the chance and ran in the direction of the subway station. 

“LOOK SUPERGIRL!”, she hollered as Kara was standing there, bringing the dumpster to a halt. All people turned their heads and started to beleaguer her with their phones out, taking pictures and calling after her. Rachel went into the subway, took the first train she got, and took her phone out. She was so sick of playing nice. They didn’t trust her doing this on her own, she doesn’t need to report to them. No trust in her, no trust in them. __

_ >> I am done with you guys! _

She sent the text to Donna, dropping the phone on the ground of the subway, changing lines. She had to do better this time around, it was going to be a long night. 

Donna was sighing when her phone vibrated once again. She looked on the screen, she had two unread messages from Rachel. The last one just a minute ago. It was almost 11 pm in New York City, what was she up to? She unlocked on her phone, opening the messages, and reading them. “What the fuck?”, she said out loud. 

“What?” Dick was looking from the TV to her face. Before Donna could answer his phone went off. He looked on the screen, frowning, picking it up.” 

“Kara…what’s going on?” 

“Dick…I am sorry. I have lost her.” 

“You what?” 

“She knew who I was…and she tossed a dumpster to an intersection and I had to something and she took the chance to escape.” 

Dick was massaging his eyelids. “How did this happen, Kara? How?” 

“Dick…she was really stubborn and wasn’t ready to even listen to me.” Kara sounded frustrated.” I am sorry, but I can’t find her. I did search everywhere, but’s it’s New York and it’s late. It’s impossible to find her now and I am sure she won’t let track down again tomorrow. Not by me at least.” 

“Fuck!”, said Dick looking to Donna. “Can we track her by her phone?” 

“Hate to break to you Dick, but she just wrote “I am done with you guys” and think she won’t have her phone anymore.” Donna looked at him, uncomfortably shifting in her chair. 

“That can’t be happening…” he breathed in deeply. “I have to go my own. Now.” 

He said goodbye to Kara, hung up, and called for the nurse. 

“Dick…you can’t go now…you’ve heard the doctor, you supposed to stay overnight.” Donna was trying to reason with him. 

“I made my point more than once Donna: I won’t let Rachel walking around New York City alone, trying to fight some psychopaths who already tried to kill her. That’s not open to discussion anymore.” His tone was decided. The nurse was coming in, looking at him questionably. 

“I want to discharge myself.” 

“Sir, you shouldn’t…” 

“With all respects, that’s up to me and I am feeling fine. I have to be somewhere else, urgently. So please get a doctor to sign the papers so I can get out now.” 

The nurse was looking at Donna as she hoped she would help her. Donna only shrugged her shoulder, mouthing sorry to the nurse. The nurse sighed. 

“I am getting a doctor, but you really should think about it again. You just have been an accident which you normally wouldn’t survive…maybe don’t challenge fate again.” 

Dick sighed, deeply. “Believe me…this has nothing to do with fate. This is all about a girl I deeply care for.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are always welcome!


End file.
